Shrimping with Trent Locklair
- cdavis884
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
By Ford Walpole
The image of someone standing in the bow of a boat and slinging a cast net in a creek is an enduring snapshot of the South Carolina Lowcountry and has been the inspiration of countless artists. Throughout the years, the hand-sewn cotton net has given way to monofilament factory nets, and the primitive wooden bateau has been replaced by aluminum and fiberglass boats powered by outboards. Electronics now aid the sportsman in locating shrimp beneath the water. Even so, the peaceful sound of a net splashing into the water remains timeless, hopeful and spiritual, indeed biblical — as you discover yourself in communion with the apostles of old.
This time of year, anglers have three opportunities to catch shrimp in our saltwater creeks and rivers: casting by chance the old way, shrimping over bait or deep hole shrimping. The recreational shrimp baiting season runs from September 12 until November 10.
Trent Locklair, who enjoys all saltwater sporting opportunities, has caught shrimp while utilizing all of the aforementioned methods. “Growing up, I went shrimping in the harbor at Crab Bank with my buddy and his father. Back then, we always went shrimping with bait at night. When my own father became interested in shrimping, we put in the john boat at Bennetts Point (Mosquito Creek) Landing and shrimped in the St. Helena Sound,” he says.
Shrimp baiting involves setting up to 10 poles and placing bait balls beside them at a sufficient distance to accommodate the circumference of the open net. Bait balls are usually composed of a mixture of fishmeal and clay. Many people add menhaden oil to further entice the shrimp. Besides the standard formula, “I have added used frying oil, cat food, sardines and concrete adhesive,” Locklair says.
“And after a rain when the salinity is low, I add a lot of salt to bait balls — because the shrimp always seem to be looking for the saltiest water,” he says. In addition, Bait Binder is a simple alternative to making bait balls. To this premixed formula, you simply “just add water.” While much more convenient, this product is a more expensive alternative. You typically will get 15 bait balls from a 15-pound bag.
“Usually when I bait for shrimp, I go at night when the shrimp are more active,” Trent says. “I try to make the bait balls before I head out, but I also have made them while I’m in the boat. I have the best luck at dead-low tide and continuing to shrimp the incoming tide. During this time, the previous outgoing tide has pulled the shrimp from the creeks. A slack tide is usually good because the tide isn’t drawing them away. Shrimping during these conditions during a full moon is particularly ideal; the shrimp seem to be able to see better during the moonlight,” Locklair says.
As far as location, Trent prefers mud flats to shell bottoms. “For one thing, it is a lot easier to place a pole in a mud flat, despite having to deal with muddy poles. In addition, you are also out of the channel, so the tide is not disturbing the bait or pulling the shrimp away,” he says.
Locklair discusses the advantages of baiting for shrimp. “You can go shrimp baiting in a small boat without a depth finder. When you are using bait to catch shrimp, if the shrimp are around, they will usually find your bait pretty quickly, and you typically will find the shrimp faster because they tend to congregate more around the bait. Bait-shrimping often results in a faster trip because if you get in them thick, you will catch more shrimp in a shorter amount of time. When baiting, I have cooler-ed out in three passes, or a total of 30 casts by the ten poles,” he says.
For the past several years, Trent has also enjoyed deep-holing for shrimp. In this manner, which he practices exclusively during the day, he throws a 10-foot cast net equipped with tape or mesh fabric to help the net remain open as it sinks in the deeper water. He prefers to work a slack tide, when “the shrimp hunker down in the holes, and they are not getting pulled out. When you deep hole, you need a fish finder to see the shrimp; you are looking for chunks of green and red, which usually indicate shrimp on the bottom at depths of 15, 45 or even 60 feet,” he says. “When deep-holing, I have cooler-ed out in an hour and a half.”
Deep hole shrimping includes several benefits: you are only required to have your saltwater fishing license, and you need not bother with shrimp poles or bait balls. In addition, “you are good-to-go with a good sonar. And when you can locate the shrimp on the bottom, you don’t have to throw as many casts,” Locklair says.
For some, shrimp landed by deep-holing are more palatable, since they have not consumed fishmeal, clay, or menhaden oil: “My dad says he is able to taste the bait in the shrimp, but I personally cannot detect it — especially after you de-vein the shrimp. It is possible, though, that the shrimp you catch over bait also could have been eating another guy’s bait before they come over to yours,” he says.
“I have shrimped from Beaufort all the way to McClellanville,” Locklair says. “For years, I kept hearing how good the shrimping was at Bull’s Bay, so I finally tried it three years ago.” The reputation was well-warranted. “The first time I went to Bulls Bay, the shrimp we caught were massive! That place tends to have the best shrimp; you just can’t beat it as far as size and quality!” Trent says.
“Bulls Bay, which is right off the ocean, is one of the saltiest areas around,” he notes. “When I shrimp there, I get salt all over my entire body; it’s like I have rolled around in a salt bin. And during the daytime in Bull’s Bay, baiting seems more successful than in the harbor. There are more sand bars, mud flats, and deep holes; the holes out there are around 15 to 45 feet. If the shrimp are not in the holes, they are probably on the banks,” he says.
When Trent shrimps Bulls Bay, he notices about the same number of boats baiting as those deep-holing. The baiters tend to work the sand bars in the middle of the bay. The mouth of Anderson Creek, while not a deep hole, typically holds a lot of shrimp on the bottom that is ideal to catch with a deep-hole net. Garris Landing provides daylight access to Bulls Bay, but nighttime shrimpers must travel farther from Buck Hall Landing.
As for his preference regarding catching shrimp over bait versus deep-hole shrimping, “I really enjoy both!” Trent declares. “It just depends on what I am hearing as to which method is working better. I like to go out prepared to try both during the same trip. I would rather be safe than sorry; I don’t want to be danged. I like to take supplies and nets for both methods and keep my options open — just in case!”
Finally, Trent also enjoys catching shrimp the old way — by blind casting in the creeks. “Usually when I am blind casting, I am planning on fishing,” he says. “I start out in front of a creek mouth. An old guy once taught me that if you run up the creek at dead low, you will know the shrimp are there when you see them wash up on the bank. On one occasion in Beaufort, we were shrimp baiting and fishing. For some reason, the shrimp were not coming to the bait, so we tried some blind casts in a creek and ended up catching a lot of shrimp,” he says.
The other day, Trent and his girlfriend, my daughter English Calhoun, tried casting the Stono by chance — after the choppy waters of Charleston Harbor compelled them to shift their focus. They ended up catching a “mess of shrimp” for supper the old-fashioned way.
Even with the assistance of bait and good electronics, casting for shrimp is still hard work and often involves late nights. Locklair reflects on why shrimping is nonetheless a worthwhile and rewarding endeavor: “I love shrimping for many reasons, but mainly because it’s a great excuse to get out of the house and spend time outdoors, particularly on the water.”
“And, there is nothing like filling your freezer and knowing you can eat a good meal of Lowcountry shrimp anytime you want!” English Calhoun adds.
“My advice for people interested in shrimping is keep trying, and don’t get discouraged if you have a bad couple of nights,” Trent continues. “Once you find the shrimp, and they are running; it’s all worth it!”
Ford Walpole lives and writes on John’s Island and is the author of many articles on the outdoors. He teaches English at James Island Charter High School and the College of Charleston and may be reached at fordwalpole@gmail.com.
